Where Australians live on the national socio-economic ladder differs markedly by state. At the 2021 Census, 58.7% of residents of the Australian Capital Territory lived in localities in the most advantaged fifth nationally, and almost none in the two least advantaged fifths. The Northern Territory and Western Australia had the next largest shares in the top fifth, 18.2% and 17.1%, and outside the ACT, Victoria and Western Australia had the smallest shares in the bottom fifth, 15.7% and 16.1%. Tasmania had the largest share in the least advantaged fifth, 33.1%, followed by South Australia at 28.7%. Victoria had fewer residents than the national average at both ends of the ladder.
Readings rank each locality against other localities nationally. The figures describe August 2021.
Measuring socio-economic position
APN Bedrock™ (Socio-Economic Position) (24110) ranks each suburb and locality on five measures from the 2021 Census: median household income, the share of households that own their home, the unemployment rate, median mortgage repayments against household income, and the ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Each measure is converted to a national percentile rank, and the reading is the average of the measures available for each locality, from 0 to 100.
This piece divides the 6,782 localities with more than 200 residents into five equal groups, from the least to the most advantaged, and asks what share of each state’s residents live in each group. Because the groups contain equal numbers of localities rather than equal numbers of people, the national shares are not exactly one-fifth each: the most advantaged fifth holds 13.2% of residents, as its localities are smaller on average.
Each state on the national ladder
Residents by national fifth of socio-economic position, by state and territory, 2021
Localities (ABS Suburbs and Localities, 2021) with more than 200 residents. Share of each state’s residents living in localities in each national fifth of socio-economic position; fifths are equal numbers of localities. APN Bedrock™ (Socio-Economic Position) (24110). APN calculation based on Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data.
| State or territory | Residents | Localities | Least advantaged fifth | Most advantaged fifth | Average reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | 393,767 | 101 | 0.1% | 58.7% | 70.3 |
| Western Australia | 2,414,259 | 697 | 16.1% | 17.1% | 50.2 |
| Northern Territory | 216,900 | 162 | 22.3% | 18.2% | 49.2 |
| Victoria | 5,810,693 | 1,229 | 15.7% | 10.0% | 48.7 |
| New South Wales | 7,305,460 | 2,085 | 25.9% | 13.0% | 45.5 |
| Queensland | 4,575,374 | 1,493 | 26.8% | 12.5% | 45.2 |
| South Australia | 1,618,559 | 692 | 28.7% | 12.0% | 43.7 |
| Tasmania | 479,020 | 319 | 33.1% | 7.7% | 41.2 |
| Australia | 22,818,418 | 6,782 | 22.3% | 13.2% | 47.0 |
Localities (ABS Suburbs and Localities, 2021) with more than 200 residents. Average reading weighted by residents; readings run from 0 to 100. APN Bedrock™ (Socio-Economic Position) (24110). APN calculation based on Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data.
The ACT stands apart: 92.0% of its residents lived in the two most advantaged fifths. Western Australia had 17.1% of residents in the top fifth and 16.1% in the bottom fifth. New South Wales and Queensland each had about a quarter of residents in the least advantaged fifth (25.9% and 26.8%), and New South Wales had more in the top fifth (13.0%) than Queensland (12.5%). Victoria’s residents were concentrated in the middle: 74.3% lived in the three middle fifths. The Northern Territory was spread across the ladder: 51.1% lived in the two most advantaged fifths and 22.3% in the least advantaged.
Average position by state
Average APN Bedrock™ reading, weighted by residents, 2021
Localities (ABS Suburbs and Localities, 2021) with more than 200 residents. Average reading weighted by residents; readings run from 0 to 100. APN Bedrock™ (Socio-Economic Position) (24110). APN calculation based on Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data.
Weighted by residents, the average reading ranged from 70.3 in the ACT to 41.2 in Tasmania, against 47.0 nationally. How socio-economic position lines up with safety, education, amenity and hazard exposure across localities is covered in Advantage, Safety and Services: Which Neighbourhood Conditions Go Together.
What this does not show
The figures describe localities as they were on Census night, 10 August 2021, when parts of the country were in lockdown and interest rates were at their lowest; much has changed since, and the first results of the 2026 Census are due from mid-2027. The readings are ranks, so they show where a locality sits relative to others, not absolute living standards, and they average across everyone in a locality: advantaged and disadvantaged households live side by side in most places. The ACT and the Northern Territory are small, and the NT’s localities include remote communities alongside Darwin and Alice Springs. Localities of 200 residents or fewer are excluded.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (Reference period: 2021) Census of Population and Housing: General Community Profile [https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/datapacks], ABS Website, accessed 7 October 2026.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (Reference period: 2021) Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia [https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/socio-economic-indexes-areas-seifa-australia/2021], ABS Website, accessed 7 October 2026.
ABS material is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Calculations, standardisations and index readings are APN’s and are not attributable to the ABS.
Findings are presented on the basis of data and evidence alone.
